Erasing device having a projectable and retractable eraser



C. C. MAYES Dec. 3, 1957 ERASING DEVICE HAVING A PROJECTABLE ANDRETRACTABLE ERASER Filed June 21, 1955 U wLN 2,815,002 Patented Dec. 3,1957 ERASING DEVICE HAVING A PROJECT ABLE AND RETRACTABLE ERASER ClellCharley Mayes, Sevierville, Tenn. Application June 21, 1955, Serial No.516,943

Claims. (Cl. 120-38) This invention relates to mechanical pencils inwhich an elongated lead is fed to a writing tip or point, and inparticular, an eraser incorporated in a mechanical pencil in which theeraser which is provided with a centrally disposed longitudinallypositioned opening through which the lead extends and which ispositioned at the base of the conical shaped section of the point of thepencil is slidably mounted and adapted to be actuated by a button on thesurface of a barrel of the pencil wherein, should it be desired to makean erasure, the eraser is actuated by the button to slide outwardlybeyond the point of the lead with the surrounding conical shaped portionof the pencil expanding whereby an erasure may be made and aftercompleting the erasure the eraser is adapted to be retracted by thebutton and the point adapted to be used for writing.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an eraser for a mechanicalpencil in which the eraser is adapted to be used without removing capsor other parts of the pencil and without turning the pencil end for end.

Various types of erasers have been incorporated in mechanical pencils,however, such erasers are incorporated in the barrel of the pencil andusually covered with a cap or the like and upon removing the cap to makean erasure the cap is often dropped and frequently misplaced. Where sucherasers are provided without a cap, the eraser is subjected to beingsoiled and the surface hardened by contact with the air so that sucherasers are very seldom used. With this thought in mind, this inventioncontemplates an eraser slidably mounted in the writing end of amechanical pencil and adapted to be actuated by a button whereby when itis desired to make an erasure the eraser is actuated to an extendedposition beyond the point of the lead so that it may readily be used.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eraser for a mechanicalpencil in which the eraser is necessarily completely covered except forthe short period of time that it is used.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an eraser for amechanical pencil in which the eraser is adapted to be projected beyondthe point of the pencil and in which the eraser is adapted to beincorporated in the body portion of the pencil without increasing thediameter thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eraser for amechanical pencil in which the eraser is adapted to be projected beyondthe point of the pencil when use thereof is desired and wherein theeraser is readily retracted after use in which the pencil is of acomparatively simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionembodies a mechanical pencil having a barrel with a conical shaped pointin which the conical shaped point includes a plurality of expandingsections, a cylindrical eraser having a longitudinally disposed openingextended through the center thereof slidably mounted in the barrel, abutton secured to mounting elements of the eraser and extended through aslot in the barrel for sliding the eraser outwardly through the point ofthe pencil, a conventional lead tube extended through the center of theeraser and mounted in the barrel and conventional operating means forthe lead in said tube.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the improved mechanical pencilwith the eraser slidably mounted therein with parts broken away showinga section on the longitudinal Center of the pencil illustrating themounting and operating elements of the eraser.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section similar to that shown in Figure 1showing the eraser in the extended position for use with the parts shownon an enlarged scale and with the lead actuating instrumentalitiesbroken away.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the pencil look ing toward thepoint thereof, the eraser being retracted to a nested position withinthe pencil.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 3 showing the pencilwith the eraser extended, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the pencil, taken on line 55 ofFigure 1, also with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a cross section through the pencil, taken on line 6-6 ofFigure 2, illustrating the mounting of the eraser in the sliding tube orsleeve.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the improved mechanical pencil of this inventionincludes a barrel 10 hav ing a threaded nipple 11 on the end on whichthe writing point is positioned, a plurality of fingers or segments 12,of flexible material extended from a band 13 threaded on the nipple 11,a sleeve 14 slidably mounted in the barrel 10 and having an internallythreaded collar 15 with a beveled inner surface 16 on the outer end anda button 17 secured to the inner end with screws 18, an eraser 19 havinga longitudinally disposed opening 20 therethrough threaded in the collar15, a ferrule 21 slidably mounted on a conventional lead tube 22 of thepencil and in which the inner end of the eraser is mounted and suitablelead actuating mechanism, as indicated by the numeral 23, for actuatinga lead 24 positioned in the tube 22.

The barrel 10, which is similar to a barrel of a conventional pencil, isprovided with a partition 25 in which the tube 22 is mounted by abushing 26 and a locking nut 27 and one side of the barrel is providedwith a slot 28 through which the button 17 on the end of the sleeve 14extends and with the outer surface of the button projecting beyond thesurface of the pencil the button may readily be gripped by a thumb orforefinger of a hand whereby the button is adapted to be actuated fromthe position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2 when it isdesired to extend the eraser and by the same means the eraser isretracted by the button as. the button is returned from the positionshown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 1.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the ferrule 21 is provided with an innersleeve 29 that is slidably mounted on the tube 22 and outer threadedsleeve 30 that is positioned to coact with the threads on the innersurface of the collar 15.

With the parts designed and assembled as disclosed and described, themechanical pencil of this invention will have the appearance of aconventional pencil, as illustrated in Figure l, and when it is desiredto use the eraser incorporated therein, the button 17 is actuated toslide the sleeve 14 toward the point of the pencil wherein the eraser 19spreads the fingers or segments 12 with beveled ends 31 of the fingerssliding over the collar 15 and resting against the inner beveled surface16 thereof, as shown in Figure 2. With the eraser extended, the outerend or erasing surface is positioned beyond the point of the lead of thepencil whereby the eraser is adapted to be used and after use the eraseris retracted by the button 17 moving the eraser, sleeve 14, and ferrule21 inwardly to the position shown in Figure 1.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of theappended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An erasing device comprising a barrel, a plurality of segments offlexible material positioned on one end of the barrel providing aconical shaped Writing end, a guide tube positioned in the barrel andextended through said segments, an eraser having a longitudinallydisposed opening therethrough slidably mounted on the tube in thebarrel, said tube extended through the opening of the eraser, and meansfor projecting the eraser through said segments and to a positionextended beyond the end of the guide tube.

2. An erasing device comprising a barrel, a plurality of triangularshaped segments of flexible material positioned on one end of the barrelproviding a conical shaped writing end, a guide tube positioned in thebarrel and extended through said segments, an eraser having alongitudinally disposed opening therethrough positioned over the guidetube and slidably mounted in the barrel, and means for projecting theeraser through said segments positioned beyond the outer end of theguide tube, said projecting means being adapted to retract the eraser toa nested position Within said segments.

3. An erasing device comprising a barrel having a threaded nipple on oneend, a collar having substantially triangular shaped converging segmentsof flexible material extended therefrom threaded on the nipple at theend of the barrel and providing a conical shaped section extended fromthe barrel, a guide tube extended through the barrel and extendedthrough said segments, a sleeve slidably mounted in the barrel, saidbarrel having an elongated slot therein, a button mounted on said sleeveand extended through the slot of the barrel, an eraser having alongitudinally disposed opening therethrough carried by the sleeve andpositioned with the opening over the guide tube, and a ferrule in theinner end of the eraser positioned over said guide tube and in which theinner end of the eraser is mounted,

4. In an erasing device, the combination which comprises a barrel havinga guide tube in one end and with a threaded nipple on the opposite end,said barrel having an elongated slot therein, a collar having aplurality of fingers of flexible material extended therefrom threaded onthe nipple at the end of the barrel, said fingers converging to providea conical shaped section at said one end of the barrel, the extendedends of the fingers forming the conical shaped section being positionedagainst the outer surface of said guide tube, a sleeve slidably mountedin the barrel and having a button extended through the slot therein, andan eraser having a longitudinally disposed opening therethrough throughwhich the guide tube extends, said eraser being carried by the sleeveslidably mounted in the barrel and adapted to be actuated by the sleeveand button to expand the fingers and to a position extended beyond theend of the guide tube.

5. In an erasing device, the combination which comprises a barrel havinga guide tube in one end and with a threaded nipple on the opposite end,said barrel having an elongated s'lot therein, a collar having aplurality of fingers of flexible material extended therefrom threaded onthe nipple at the end of the barrel, said fingers converging to providea conical shaped section at said one end of the barrel, the extendedends of the fingers forming the conical shaped section being positionedagainst the outer surface of said guide tube, a sleeve slidably mountedin the barrel and having a button extended through the slot therein, aneraser having a longitudinally disposed opening therethrough throughwhich the guide tube extends, said eraser being carried by the sleeveslidably mounted in the barrel and adapted to be actuated by the sleeveand button to expand the fingers and to a position extended beyond theend of the guide tube, a ferrule in which the inner end of the eraser ismounted, said ferrule having a threaded outer surface and being threadedin the extended end of the sleeve providing mounting means for theeraser in said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS971,797 Smythe Oct. 4, 1910 1,580,183 Veillette Apr. 13, 1926 1,621,945Mitchell Mar. 22, 1927 2,069,462 Rouse Feb. 2, 1937

